Annie Laurie Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 My baby will be 1 next week and he is the biggest eater I've ever had at this age. He wants to eat or nurse a lot. But I feel like we're in a rut and I give him the same things over and over. For breakfast he has: sliced bananas toast w butter and cinnamon or all fruit jelly small pieces of bagel w cream cheese scrambled eggs small pieces of raw apple, pear, or grapes (very small) smoothies sometimes he has diluted oj but he mostly drinks water w meals and snacks snacks: cheese dry cereal, like cheerios or rice chex crackers graham crackers bits of hard-boiled egg fruit, like sliced banana sometimes avocado if I have time for a huge mess Lunch and dinner he has what we have, unless it's something spicy like tonight. So he has strained soup, pasta, fish, chicken, rice, etc. Always with cooked veggies. I guess the main problems I have are 1) He doesn't like to feed himself with a spoon and doesn't like other people to either, so he doesn't really want yogurt, cottage cheese, applesauce, smaller things like couscous that are hard to pick up with his fingers. Should I keep giving him this stuff w a spoon and just keep picking up the mess he dumps everywhere and one of these days he'll eat it? 2)Most fruit is out of season and I don't want to feed him canned fruit due to lead found in a lot of canned fruit. So he keeps eating apples, pears, grapes, and bananas. 3) For snacks, we're often in the middle of school and I don't want to give him anything super messy, so I need more finger-food suggestions. And he's young enough that I'm still cautious about chokeable foods and nut butters. He is a peanut w a fast metabolism like all of my kids and could use a lot of good fats and high calorie foods. Milk gives him diarrhea, but other dairy seems fine. Anyone have some new ideas for us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 It's not cheap, but my DD (15 mos) has a love of those baby food things in the little tube. She doesn't like being fed with a spoon either but will suck the baby food from those tubes with the lids. I reserve them mainly for travel, when I want her to have good veggies or fruit but not too messy. Applesauce is cheaper and comes that way too with one brand. http://www.amazon.com/Ellas-Kitchen-Organic-Broccoli-3-5-Ounce/dp/B0031U9UDY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320988162&sr=8-2 The tubes I have used all say BPA free thankfully. What about beans? My little one also likes to finger feed beans - pinto beans, kidney beans, other soft beans. My DD is also milk intolerant and small. Instead of water in her bottle with meals, she gets coconut or rice milk with some fish or flax oil, suggested by her ped for extra calories/fats. She still nurses 4 times a day, sometimes a little more or a little less too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Can you get the book "Super BabyFood" out of your library? I got a lot of ideas. I am envious! My guys were never big eaters. They still aren't. I always wanted a kid with a healthy appetite. They seem like such fun to have in the kitchen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 It's not cheap, but my DD (15 mos) has a love of those baby food things in the little tube. She doesn't like being fed with a spoon either but will suck the baby food from those tubes with the lids. I reserve them mainly for travel, when I want her to have good veggies or fruit but not too messy. Applesauce is cheaper and comes that way too with one brand. http://www.amazon.com/Ellas-Kitchen-Organic-Broccoli-3-5-Ounce/dp/B0031U9UDY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320988162&sr=8-2 The tubes I have used all say BPA free thankfully. What about beans? My little one also likes to finger feed beans - pinto beans, kidney beans, other soft beans. My DD is also milk intolerant and small. Instead of water in her bottle with meals, she gets coconut or rice milk with some fish or flax oil, suggested by her ped for extra calories/fats. She still nurses 4 times a day, sometimes a little more or a little less too. Thanks for those ideas! He is not picky at all, the only food he just doesn't like is beans. He always spits them out! And we eat beans a lot, so I always give him one to try. Maybe they'll grow on him eventually. Can you get the book "Super BabyFood" out of your library? I got a lot of ideas. I am envious! My guys were never big eaters. They still aren't. I always wanted a kid with a healthy appetite. They seem like such fun to have in the kitchen! Good idea, I will check my library. Thanks! I have some great eaters and some who are so picky they drive me nuts. My two pickies are a lot underweight too, so it worries me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I would go ahead and let him make a mess with a spoon. I had a dog around to clean up most of hte mess.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 I would go ahead and let him make a mess with a spoon. I had a dog around to clean up most of hte mess.:D We do have a dog, so good point! The dog has learned to stand around under ds's high chair. :001_smile: Of course, baby ds has also figured out that it's fun to throw things down and watch the dog snatch them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 1) He doesn't like to feed himself with a spoon and doesn't like other people to either, so he doesn't really want yogurt, cottage cheese, applesauce, smaller things like couscous that are hard to pick up with his fingers. Should I keep giving him this stuff w a spoon and just keep picking up the mess he dumps everywhere and one of these days he'll eat it? Yes. Put plastic tablecloth under his highchair to catch the mess. :-) 2)Most fruit is out of season and I don't want to feed him canned fruit due to lead found in a lot of canned fruit. So he keeps eating apples, pears, grapes, and bananas. What about strawberries? ripe peaches? figs? Even so, what he's eating now seems fine to me. 3) For snacks, we're often in the middle of school and I don't want to give him anything super messy, so I need more finger-food suggestions. Pretzels? Or are you worried that he'd choke on them? Pretzels were a mainstay snack in our home. :-) Or dry Cherrios or Chex. Otherwise, what you're feeding him sounds fine. I don't think you need to worry about a bigger variety of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Not much of an idea but my SIL would feed her little ones frozen peas--sometimes zapped a bit in the microwave, other times just thawed under water. They liked the cold peas and they were mushable and healthy. Also, easy to get out just a bit at a time. This might also work with some frozen fruits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I froze little nickel-sized dollops of yogurt on wax paper and they were a huge hit with my DS at that age. They don't freeze super solidly and melt nicely in your mouth. You can't serve too many at a time either, but he loved them! Does he drink out of a straw yet? My DS loved smoothies from a very young age with yogurt, banana, spinach, a splash of juice, and whatever fruit I had in the freezer (usually strawberry, blueberry, or mango). I use Take-And-Toss straw cups for smoothies because they are valveless and thus easier to clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 That was the age at which my boys really liked peas still frozen. Also, blueberries, still frozen. Teething, don't you know. My boys just loved frozen foods at that age. You can also freeze those yogurt tubes and let him eat them like a popsicle. My boys also never ate anything on a spoon. They're seven and they're only just now starting to, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I think the more practice he gets, the more he'll enjoy using a spoon. So I'd go ahead and do some thick yogurt and things like that. The little one I watched last year LOVED frozen fruit--and her mom bought things out of season, too, which wasn't really that expensive because it was just a serving or two (two peaches could last 4 days, etc.). I think you are serving a good variety. It's nice to see someone who hasn't made the mistake of only offering "kid food." :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRG Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I have a one year old and his diet is very similar to what you posted. If it is finger food or cut small enough he will feed himself. Most of the time I end up feeding him. He likes holding a fork or spoon but doesn't really use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Yes. Put plastic tablecloth under his highchair to catch the mess. :-) What about strawberries? ripe peaches? figs? Even so, what he's eating now seems fine to me. 3) For snacks, we're often in the middle of school and I don't want to give him anything super messy, so I need more finger-food suggestions. Pretzels? Or are you worried that he'd choke on them? Pretzels were a mainstay snack in our home. :-) Or dry Cherrios or Chex. Otherwise, what you're feeding him sounds fine. I don't think you need to worry about a bigger variety of food. I can't find organic strawberries anymore but I do have some frozen organic peaches. Maybe pretzels if I break them up. Funny how quickly we forget, but I can't remember when my other kids were better about chewing and not choking. Sometimes ds shoves everything in his mouth at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Good ideas on the frozen stuff, he is teething. The thing is are frozen things more likely for him to choke on or will they just dissolve and mush as he chews? I'm afraid of him shoving frozen things in his mouth at once and choking. I have a baby safe feeder, mesh thing, but he doesn't like it. And I can't say I blame him, chewing on mesh over food doesn't sound enjoyable to me either. I love the frozen yogurt dollops idea, he'll like that. He is eating frozen peas and carrots right now and seems to be enjoying himself. The reason I need more variety is because after he's had something many times, (mostly snack things and lunch things, our dinner varies more), he loses interest and doesn't eat it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Well, do you sit beside him at the table? If so, you can just give him part of his dinner at a time, so he doesn't shove too much in at one. (Or, not dinner, but whatever--) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Our nine month old doesn't get grains, so our list of foods includes: peas (usually frozen, he loves those) carrots (cooked soft) green beans lightly cooked zucchini (cubed) lightly cooked summer squash (cubed) asparagus tips lightly sauteed onions (sweet vidalia - he likes 'em - tiny pieces) cooked mushrooms Both of these - cubed sweet potatoes, cubed butternut squash - are available organic, in the frozen foods section at our store...just heat and serve what you need! Yo-baby yogurt (flavors without the cereal added) Goat milk yogurt (vanilla usually) Cubed organic cheese Variety of very tiny cut-up meat and poultry Avocado peaches pears banana grapes (peeled and cut up) cantaloupe honeydew melon kiwi blueberries (other berries should wait until >1) Organic applesauce We don't do much in the way of packaged foods, but I do keep a couple of the squeeze packs (Ella's Kitchen and other's) in the diaper bag and will occasionally add some to yogurt. I also keep some canned organic fruits on hand and give those now and then for some variety - the baby especially likes apricots, so he gets those 1-2x a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Well, do you sit beside him at the table? If so, you can just give him part of his dinner at a time, so he doesn't shove too much in at one. (Or, not dinner, but whatever--) Yes, that's what I do. I was wondering about frozen things like sliced peaches that he might shove in whole instead of chewing bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Both of these - cubed sweet potatoes, cubed butternut squash - are available organic, in the frozen foods section at our store...just heat and serve what you need! I'll have to pay more attention next time, these would be good. Great list, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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